Ignition system for internal-combustion engines.



W. W. DEAN.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION INGINESII APPLICATION FILEDv A'UG. 23. |912.

Patented July 6, I9l5;

2 SHEETS-SHEETL 4 T I' 40 I I! "I w.-w. DEAN. IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUC-L23. I9I2; n

I Patented July 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM W. DEAN, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES;

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, VILLIAM 1V. DEAN, a

i citizen of the Unite-d States, residing at- Chicago, in the county lof Cook and State of Illinois, have'invented ne i and useful Im- ,provements in gnition Systems for lnternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is ay full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming' a part of this specification. y

My invention relates to improvements in ignition systems for internal combustion engines, and has particular reference to means for automatically advancing and retarding the spark, the function of which is well known to the art.

In the drawings, which illustrate one emkbodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a and Fig. is a diagrammatic' view sectional. view takenlongitudinally through the center of the apparatus, which in the presenty instancey is designed for a fourcylinder engine, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on thel line -2-of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. t is an end clevation showing the upper end of the apparatus 'of Fig. 1; showing the electric circuits involved.

A cylindrical casing 1() supported in a stationary position in any desired way with its longitudinal axis preferably vertical,af fords at its ends suitablev bearings for the shaft 11, which shaft may be suitably connected to thc cam shaft of the engine, or driven in any desired way at half the speed of the crank shaft of the engine. Between these bearings the shaft 11 is provided with a` rectangular portion 12. within which is pivoted a. centrifugal governor ringl 13 on suitable pivot screwsll passing through the ends of the rectangular portion 12 and into diametrically opposite pivot recesses in the peripheral edge of said ring 13.'

' rlhe upper end of thc shaft 11 is provided with a central bore extending to and into the rectangular part 12 and within this bore isa sliding stem 15 which has an` enlarged head 16 fitting said bore and longitudinally slidable therein. This head is provided with a pin 17 extending through a slot in the shaft 11 to limit thc'movement of said stem longitudinally and to prevent its rotation with respect to the shaft. ,The inner end of the stem isprovided with an arm 1S extending substantially at right angles thereto and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 23, 1912. Serial No. 716,704.

vis shown as an extension from a 1 between this bushing Patented July 6, `1915.

with its outer end rounded and projecting downwaially, as shown, to engage the adja centface of the governor ring 13. This arm ring or sleeve mounted on the reduced end of the stem at the lower end of the head 16, and secured thereon by means of a suitable pin through a suitable bushing 20 secured in the end of the shaft 11, as by a screw Q1, and and the head 16 of the stem is located a coiled spring which is placed under tension to cause the end of the arm 18 to constantly bear against the side 0f the -ring 13 with the desired..pressure.

On the stem l5 outside the casing 10 is ixedly secured a cylindrical cam member preferably insulated'from said stem and having on its surface spiral cam ribs 2l corresponding in number to the number of cylinders in the enginefin this instance foin'. Also on the end Aof the'casiug 10 and adjacent the cam 23 (see Fig. are located the make-aiul-break contacts ordinarily termed the timer contacts. These consist of a stationary screw contact 25 and a spring contact Q6. loth are suitably supported -in posts carried by but insulated from lthe end of the casing, and are connected with the electric circuit conductors in any desired way but preferably by suitably fixed conductors leading 'from said contacts or contact parts to fixed binding terminals mounted on the outside of the'casing. The free end 'of the spring contact "26 is bent, as at 27, to form a projection which engages the spiral cam ribs Q4 as the cam rotates, and is thereby lifted into engagement with the contact screw 25 Ato make the circuit. The tension of the spring is so adjusted that when the cam rib passes from beneath the projection 2i', the spring contact snaps away from the contact 25 and breaks the circuit.

It will be apparent from the description so far given that as the speed of the shaft 11 increases the governor ring 13 tends to assume a position perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, and that position which this ring does assume at any particular time is dependent on the speedof vthe shaft at that time. As this ring moves into its perpendicular position the arm 18 is engaged by the side of the ring and thc sliding stem 15 is moved upwardly, carrying with it the cam 23. As the cam 23 moves upwardly, the ribs 21 on said cam, owing to'ther spira] The upper end of this stem 15 passes relation, engage the projection 27 on the c spring 26 that much sooner in the rotation of the cam, and thus the make-a'11d-break ot the electric circuit isadvanced accordingly and 1n vproportion vto thev speed' otthe engine.

The timing of the spark is thus automatify ders oi the engine, I provide an insulating vcasing or housing 28g-fitting upon and secured to the end or the casing l0. Thls c`as ing may be of hard vrubber or composition suitable tor -the purpose. t0n the outer end of thev casingare located four binding posts or terminals 29 from which wires ory cables "casing, so as to present an even surface with leadl to the vvarious spark plugs of theengine. A central post 30 connects externally with the high tension wire or cable leading from the secondary of the transformer or induction coil. The binding posts 29 are connected inside the casing with suitable conducting'strips 3l which are embedded in the material ot' the cylindrical wall of the the inside face of said casing.' These strips are 'arranged spirally inside of the casing, and at' the same relative angle or pitch as the spiral ribs 2st on thecam 23. A distributing arm 32, also of hard rubber or suitable insulating composition is carried on the outer end. of the stem 15 outside` of the cam 23, and is adapted to rotate with the shaft 11. The pin 33 on the outer face of the cam 23 engages the head of said arm 32 andinsures its rotation with the said stem and shaft. In the end of the arm 32 is located a carbon brush 34 of usual construction, said brush being square in cross-'section and fitting within a square metallic 'casing 35 embedded in the end of the arm .32 and containing a spiral spring 3G adapted to press said carbon contact 34 outwardly and maintain it in engagement withthe inside wall of the casing 28 and the strips 31. f This casi ing or tube 35 is connected by a suitable electric conductor 37 with a small plate 38 on the outer sideof said arm opposite the end of the stem 15. A similar carbon brush 39 carried in the central' post 30 bearsupon this contact plate 38to complete the circuit from4 the binding post 30 -toand through the distributing arm 32 and the brush The brush 3f), like the brush 34, is carried in a metallic casing 40 embedded in the surrounding material, and is pressedA forward by a coiled spring LIll extending between said brush 39 and the inner end ofthe binding post 30.' Fig. 5 illustrates diagranumitically these various circuits. The battery is shown at 42, the transformer or induction coil at 43, and the spark plugs of the various cylin# ders at ll. A switch Uris provided in the primary circuit. As will be apparent from this `figure, the primary circuit includes the battery 4:2, the primary.,winding 'of the transformer 'al/3, the switch l5 and the makeand-break contacts 25 and The second# ary or high tension, circuit includes the secondary winding of the transformer d3, the

distributing contact armI 32,'the coperating segments 31' and the spark plugs 4st. It now the circuit be closed at the contacts 25 and 2G by the cam 23 the'current from the battery Hows in the primary circuit and enerformer or induction coil." The circuit is then suddenly broken and a strong high tension current isinduced in the secondary: circuit. This current flows by wayof the distributer arm 32 and the appropriate.conta-ct 31 with which it is then in contact tothe corresponding spark plug Je where the spark ,is produced to ignite the charge in the engine cyl- 'indeiu It is likewise apparent that as the speed of theshaft 11 increases and the time of making. and breaking the circuit through rthe contacts and 26 1s advanced, the poresponding Contact strip 31 to entirely complete the electric circuit at that point when the circuit is made and broken,`it is not nec- Iessary to locate said strips close together' and there isno danger whatever `of the spark being drawn across from one to the other, as would be the case if it were necessary t0 make the contacts 31 in the form of' scgments large enough to accommodatey the varying positions oi the spark.

Various changes, alterations and substitut-ions may be'made 1n my lnvention, with- 'out departing from the principle or scopethercotf, as set forth inthc appended claims. l fh'ile I have shown this invention in conneetiolrwith a battery system of ignition, it is"ap1' arent that .it may be employed also in" magneto systems of ignition. Having thus described my invention, what lfclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ln an ignition system for multiple cy]- inder internal'combustion engines,.the com,- l ination with a pluralityot' contact strips corresponding to the'number of cylinders of 'tlie engine, of a contact rotatable with ref spect thereto and successively making con- -tact therewith, said contact strips being spirally arranged with respect to the axis of` rotation, means for advancing'and retarding the spark, and meansl :for simultaneously gizes the primary7 -winding of the trans" A moving said rotatable Contact axially` to adof the engine,la. longitudinally sliding stem in said shaft and revolving therewith, a ballanced governor carried by said shaft and,

the position of said stem serving to vary v therein according to the speed of the engine, a cam on said stem having spirally arranged cam surfaces thereon, and a make-andbreak set of eletric contacts mounted adjacent said cam and operated by said cam surfaces.

3. In an ignition system for multiple' cylinder internal combustion engines, a shaft driven b v the engine, a longitudinally sliding member connected to said sha ft and rof tating therewith, a governor also driven by the engine and serving to control the longil make and break tudiual'position of said member, make-andbreak contacts operated by said member and arranged to be advanced or retarded in their action in accordance With the longitudinal position of said member, a Contact arm also carried by said member and reciprocating therewith, a plurality of spirally arranged Contact strips concentric with said armand adapted to be successively engaged by said arm in its rotation, .whereby When the spark is advanced or retarded by the governor 'the contact of said arm and said strips Will be correspondingly advanced or retarded.

t. In an ignition system for multiple cylinder internal combustionongines, a casing, a shaft mounted in said casing and driven by the. engine, a sliding stem'in said shaft and rotating therewith, a balanced governor carriedby said shaft and serving to shift said stem according to the speed of rotation of the shaft, a cam mounted on the end of said stem, and having spirally arranged cam surfaces thereon, a set of make-and-break contacts mounted on the casing adjacent the said cam and operated by the camsurfaces thereon, a Contact arm mounted on the s aid stem and rotating therewith, a second casing mounted on said first mentioned casing, contact strips mounted on the inside of said casing and adapted to be contact arm in its rotation, said strips being also 'arranged spirally corresponding to the said spiral cam surfaces, spark is advanced or retarded, the contacts made by said arm in itsrotation are corre spondingly advanced or retarded.

5. In an ignition system for multiple cylinder internal combustion engines, the combination with a casing, of a shaft driven at a speed lproportionate to the speed -oftheengine, a cam mounted in said casing and r0- tated by said shaft and having .a plurality of spirally arranged cam surfaces thereon, a

mounted in said casing adjacent-said cam and operated by said cam surfaces, a plurality of spirally arranged contactsmounted Within said casing, and an arm rotatable in saidcasing with said cam having a Contact at the end thereof ing its rotation said spil-ally arranged contacts, said cam and arm having an axial movenfent corresponding to the speed of the engine. 'y

In Witness whereof, l'. have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of tvvo witnesses.

WrLLL/in vv. DEAN.

lWitnesses5 Romina* LEWIS AMES, E. R. RING.

engaged by said whereby when they set of electric contacts arranged to engage dur- 

